Exploring an experimental route of synthesizing superheavy elements beyond Z > 118

TL;DR

This paper investigates the factors influencing the synthesis of superheavy elements beyond Z=118, highlighting the importance of excitation energy selection and proposing theoretical models to improve prediction accuracy.

Contribution

It introduces a method to optimize excitation energy in superheavy element synthesis using theoretical excitation function studies, aiding future experimental planning.

Findings

Large deviations in evaporation residue cross-sections are due to arbitrary excitation energy choices.

Theoretical models can identify optimal excitation energies for experiments.

Proposed approach may improve the predictability of superheavy element synthesis outcomes.

Abstract

Role of the Coulomb interaction, mean fissility, mass asymmetry, and charge asymmetry parameters on the synthesis of heavy and superheavy elements has been examined with respect to the deformation parameters of the projectile and target nuclei explicitly in light of the experimental results. The observed facts are classified into four categories and are then used to study several unsuccessful as well as planned reactions to synthesize the new superheavy elements $Z= 119, 120$. Concrete inference is too difficult to draw from these results because of excessive deviations in evaporation residue cross-section data. It is found that the arbitrary choice of excitation energy for the experiments studied was the root cause of such large deviations. Such a complex issue can be resolved well by theoretical excitation function studies using the advanced statistical model or the dinuclear system model and choosing the excitation energy corresponding to the energy where the excitation function curve shows the maximum. We believe this method may help us to predict whether the estimated evaporation residue cross-section can be measurable within the experimental limit of the existing facilities for the future reactions planned.